From gars@speakeasy.org Tue Dec 9 19:34:06 2003 Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 15:16:20 -0800 From: Gary Night Owl To: Internet Recipients of Wotanging Ikche Subject: Wotanging Ikche--nanews11.047 _ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' VOLUME 11, ISSUE 047 / /-< / /--/ /-- __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, WOTANGING IKCHE - Lakota - Common News Wotanging Ikche and Native American News Copyright c. 1996-2003 nanews.org Aboriginal/AmerIndian Perspective about the First Nations of Turtle Island November 22, 2003 Kiowa Tepgan P'a/Geese going Moon Eastern Cherokee Nvda ganohalidoha/Hunting Moon +-------------------------------------------------------+ | Much more happens in Indian Country than is reported | | in this weekly newsletter. For daily updates & events | | go to http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm | +-------------------------------------------------------+ Otapi'sin Atsinikiisinaakssin -- Blackfeet -- News for All the People Ni-mah-mi-kwa-zoo-min -- Ojibwe -- We Are Talking About Ourselves Aunchemokauhettittea -- Naragansett -- Let Us Share News Kanoheda Aniyvwiya -- Cherokee -- Journal of the People O Es'te Opunvk'vmucvse -- Creek -- People's New News O o O Acimowin -- Plains Cree -- Story or Account O o O Tlaixmatiliztli -- Nahuatl -- News O o o o o O Agnutmaqan -- Listuguj Mi'kmaq -- News O o O Sho-da-ku-ye -- Teehahnahmah -- Talking Birchbark O o O Un Chota -- Susquehannic Seneca -- The People Speak O Ha-Sah-Sliltha -- Ditidaht Nation -- News of the People Ximopanolti tehuatzin, inin Mexika tlahtolli -- Nahuatl -- For you we offer these words It-hah-pe-hah Ah-num pah-le -- Chickasaw -- Together We Are Talking Dineh jii' adah' ho'nil'e'gii ba' ha' neh -- Navajo Nation -- What's Happening among The People News Okla Humma Holisso Nowat Anya -- Choctaw -- People(s) Red Newspaper Hi'a chu ah gaa -- Pima -- The stories or the talk of the People Native American News -- Language of the Occupation Forces ==>If you want your Nation represented in the banner of this newsletter<== email gars@nanews.org with the equivalent of "News of the People" in your tribal language along with the english translation <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is produced in straight ASCII text for greatest portability across platforms. Read it with a fixed-pitch font, such as Courier, Monaco, FixedSys or CG Times. Proportional fonts will be difficult to read. <================<<<< >>>>================> This issue contains articles from www.owlstar.com; www.indianz.com; www.pechanga.net; Justice for First Nations Prisoners, Chiapas-95, Frostys AmerIndian and News & Information Distribution Mailing Lists; newsgroup: alt.native; UUCP email IMPORTANT!! ----------- In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, all material appearing in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for educational purposes. <================<<<< >>>>================> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters who share our Spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. ++ It may be subscribed to via email by sending a request from your own internet addressable account to gars@speakeasy.org ++ It is archived at http://www.nanews.org <================<<<< >>>>================> +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | As historian Patricia Nelson | | Once a language is lost, it is | | Limerick summarized in "The | | gone forever | | Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken | | * Of the 300 original Native | | Past of the American West... | | languages in North America, | | "Set the blood quantum at | | only 175 exist today. | | one-quarter, hold to it as a | | * 125 of these are no longer | | rigid definition of Indians, | | learned by children. | | let intermarriage proceed as | | * 55 are spoken by 1 to 6 elders;| | it had for centuries, and | | when they die, their language | | eventually Indians will be | | will disappear. | | defined out of existence." | | * Without action, only 20 | | "When that happens, the federal | | languages will survive the next| | government will be freed of | | 50 years. | | its persistent 'Indian problem.'"| | Source: Indigenous Language | +-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --+ | Institute | |http://www.indigenous-language.org| This issue's Elder Quote: + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + ======================== "Let him [the white man] be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I say? There is no death, only a change of worlds." __ Chief Seattle +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Indian Pledge of Allegiance | The Indian Pledge of Alleg- | | iance was first presented | I pledge allegiance to my Tribe,| on 2 December '93 during the | to the democratic principles | opening address of the Nat- | of the Republic | ional Congress of American | and to the individual freedoms | Indian Tribal-States Relat- | borrowed from the Iroquois and | ions Panel in Reno, NV. NCAI | Choctaw Confederacies, | plans distribution of the | as incorporated in the United | Indian Pledge to all Indian | States Constitution, | Nations. | so that my forefathers | | shall not have died in vain | Walk in Beauty! Night Owl +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ | Journey | In the summer and early fall | The Bloodline | of 1998 the Treaty Unity Riders | | rode a thousand miles on horse- | For all that live and live by law | back, carrying a staff and | We Stand, we Call, We Ride | praying each step of the way. | For All that fear and fear by sight | | We Hear, we Listen, we Ride | These prayers were offered for | For all that pray and pray by strength| each of us, and that the Unity | We Feel, we Move, we Ride | of all Peoples might happen. | For all that die and die by greed | | We Hurt, we Cry, we Ride | Tatanka Cante forwarded this | For all that birth and birth by right | poem on behalf of all the Unity | We Smile, we Hold, we Ride | Riders that we might stop and | For all that need and need by heart | ask if the next words we say, the | We Came, we Went, we Rode. | next act we make is for the good | | of the People or is it from ego | Treaty Unity Riders | for self. +- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -+ O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! My wonderful Mvskogee half-side, Janet, sent the following editorial recommendations. After examining each, I felt they were each too worthy of full inclusion; and have included each in the main issue that follows. I am leaving Janet's note and synopsis of each for your quick study. ----- Four stories for your editorial consideration: On a positive note -- Indians are beginning to consider unity as a means to political power American Indian Congress opening Sunday to push unity, awareness - Casper Star Tribune Sunday, November 16, 2003 - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Indian sovereignty. Trust reform. Political influence in the 2004 elections.They are among the thorny issues to be tackled by 3,000 Indian leaders when they gather for the National Congress of American Indians' 60th annual convention. The weeklong convention begins Sunday. Organizers hope the meeting -- titled "Sovereign Nations, One Enduring Voice" -- will promote unity and awareness across Indian Country. "Each tribe is an autonomous government and clearly has this autonomous government-to-government relation, but whenever you can get a larger voice, it's easier to be heard," said Jacqueline Johnson, NCAI's executive director. And individual Indians are contributing to telling our stories Museum, NAU grad giving Natives a voice - Arizona Sun 11/16/2003 - SUITLAND, Md. -- Just east of the Washington Beltway in a Maryland suburb, a group of Smithsonian Institute employees are gearing up for the September 2004 opening of the Museum of the American Indian -- mostly prepping the 800,000 Native American artifacts. But while the artifacts represent a major part of the museum's collection, former northern Arizona resident Sara Begay is working on staff to gather a different kind of collectible: audio tracks of Native Americans telling their stories. "Interviewing and telling stories of Native American people accurately and with sensitivity gives me a lot of satisfaction," Begay said. "I love giving Native American people a voice they don't seem to have, even though it's 2003." Tribes are taking steps to tell the truth about their history, rather than relying on U.S. govt. mandates. At Minneapolis' Indian academy, history is something you live - Minneapolis Star Tribune Published November 16, 2003 - At Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis, history isn't just something you learn. History is something you live in, something your ancestors lived through, something that has been survived - barely -- with courage and pride. All of which makes the proposed history and social studies standards being pushed by Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke seem almost irrelevant. At the Minneapolis public schools' new K-8 American Indian academy on Lake Street (Anishinabe means "all the people" in Ojibwe), the story of Indians didn't end when John Wayne hung up his guns. It is still going strong. Unfortunately, ignorance of Indian history is going strong, too. And the new, supposedly tougher history standards won't help much. And finally -- a little bit of juxtaposition: When it's a white business development backed by deep pockets and plenty of money, not only does New York give tax breaks to encourage business, it actually subsidizes it, but when it's a shoestring Indian development, New York make sure it is crippled by requiring full taxation and absolutely no breaks of any kind. Tale of two tax strategies - Times Union First published: Sunday, November 16, 2003 - SYRACUSE -- The massive Destiny USA project counts on state tax policy to help create thousands of jobs just north of downtown.The modest Onondaga Nation Smoke Shop worries state tax policy will kill dozens of jobs just south of the town. "At one end of the city, they're giving a tax break. At the other end, they're shutting us down," said Onondaga Chief Irving Powless Jr. In a tale of two tax strategies, New York political leaders want to give to one and take from another, setting off a debate on what is fair and reasonable. Some economists say the state will send a mixed message if it risks damaging an Indian reservation economy or reducing employment there while building up a project elsewhere with public subsidies. Janet Smith +/// owlstar@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 /*/+ OwlStar Trading Post Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. + / * http://www.owlstar.com * + -=-=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- If you know of a reliable point where funds can be sent to assist these precious elders please drop me a note at gars@nanews.org and make the subject (all caps) WINTER HELP. -----> this list will remain up until January -----> PLEASE email gars@nanews.org with any updates/additions From: wn27 Subj: Winter Clothing Mailing List: Frostys AmerIndian Good evening, I was asked to request winter clothing, coats, boots, gloves, t-shirts, sweat shirts, etc. for the Waseskun Healing Center men from anyone in the vacinity of Montreal/Kahnawake who may have extras. Many of the men do not have warm clothes and are from the north, Atlantic Canada or Ontario. We can arrange to have them picked up. We can be contacted by e-mail (staff@waseskun.net) or by phone (450-883-2034) - Jo-ann. -=-=-=- From: "Brigitte Thimiakis" Subj: Urgent Winter Request To: =========================================================================== Urgent Winter Request for Donations - Winter 2003 Greetings, If you wish to make a difference and help children and elders through the harsh winter months in Montana, please take the time to read this request. On behalf of reliable Northern Cheyenne contacts from Lame Deer, we are once again collecting donations for those in need on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. The donations that you can send are: new and good quality used warm items, (clothing and blankets), as well as toys. The toys will be distributed during the Christmas give away but the clothes and blankets will be distributed right away. During Montana winters, the temperature can drop to 30 or 40 degrees below zero so warm winter clothing and blankets can be lifesaving. It is best if donations are received by Dec. 10th. Our goal is to help the children, the elders, the single parent families, or families unable to make ends meet due to the high unemployment rate, the difficult conditions and the extreme poverty on the reservation. We would like to help everyone we possibly can on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation who is in need, but our priority is the elders and children. The children need all the help and encouragement they can get. List of useful donations : - blankets - warm winter coats and clothing - socks, gloves, boots, hats and scarves - toys (educational toys included) - school supplies - They can also use grooming supplies like toothpaste, tooth brushes, soaps and shampoos, combs, hair brushes, hair barrettes, rubber bands or other types of hair or pony tail holders. Last but not least : pampers diapers or pull-ups. - There is a special need for men's winter coats, clothing, hats, boots, gloves and anything else that protects against the cold weather. The men's winter wear is for the Tongue River Homeless Shelter. Donations can be sent to the following address: Honor Your Spirit - Protect the Children % Sue Buck PO Box 901 Great Falls, MT 59403-0901 Please contact suemontana@mcn.net for mailing information other than regular US Mail service. (Also please include your name and address if you would like for us to acknowledge/confirm receipt of your donations.) If you cannot send items due to the shipping cost, you can still help by sending a money donation.Please be assured that it will be used only for the children and elders this winter and/or for their Christmas; even small amounts can help them. The address for money donations is the same as above. You will receive a receipt which may be used for tax purposes. Please contact us before you send money (email addresses listed below). The priority of our group, "Honor your Spirit - Protect the Children" is to make sure all donations get to where they are supposed to and recognized. It is very important to us to make sure that everything is distributed fairly and to those in the greatest need. Contact Info: Sue Buck, Project Coordinator, MT suemontana@mcn.net Brigitte Thimiakis, European Link thimiakischool@the.forthnet.gr If you would like to learn more about the donation projects, please read our Shipment and Group Project Status: http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/shipment1.html Our heartfelt thanks to everyone for your support. "Your help makes a huge difference for those who have never received help.Your donations provide hope and encouragement to those who have never known these qualities. Your concern and solidarity can improve the lives of many children, elders, families, on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. There is still a lot to do but all together you can help us make these dreams come true." Thank you for being a part of this project and supporting it. Manuel Redwoman, Northern Cheyenne/Lakota/Arapaho. <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o Our group opposes all forms of child abuse, and believes that only awareness, prevention and support can reduce the number of children who suffer. Please visit our pages and our group against child abuse & violence. "Honor Your Spirit, Protect the Children" STOP CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/stopabuse.html http://www.geocities.com/honoryourspirit/home.html <>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o<>o -=-=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- WINTER REZ HELP -=-=- If you know of a reliable point where funds can be sent to assist these precious elders please drop me a note at gars@nanews.org and make the subject (all caps) WINTER HELP. -----> this list will remain up until January -----> PLEASE email gars@nanews.org with any updates/additions ohiyi Ani Oginalii , , Gary Smith Night Owl (*,*) gars@speakeasy.org P. O. Box 672168 (`-') gars@nanews.org Marietta, GA 30008, U.S.A. ===w=w=== http://www.nanews.org ----------- News of the people featured in this issue ---------- - American Indian Congress - An Innovative approach to push Unity to New Beginnings - Museum, NAU Grad - EZLN announces temporary closings giving Natives a Voice of Caracoles - Living History - Writer says Indian movement at Anishinabe Academy threatens Democracy - Tale of two Tax Strategies - Mohawk Rez special challenge - Indian Funds count halted for Border Patrol - Indian Trust Attorneys - Natives threaten to Block Fishery to fight accounting delay - Comment: It looked Great on Paper - Sturgis Group will continue - Native Land Claim going to Trial with Bear Butte Range - Good riddance - O'odham lived off to Indian Act's Replacement Desert's rich Bounty - Me'tis claim - Narragansett to reclaim Elder manhandled by RCMP ancient Burial Ground - Judge: - Cherokee get Janklow Jury can hear Close Call Ravensford Land in swap - Friends react to - Fencing of Hopi Land Janklow Evidence decision could provoke fight - Utah Woman charged with - County apologizes murder of Indian Baby to Lac Vieux Desert - Native Prisoner - Risky behavior high -- GIFT IDEA: N A prisoner artwork at BIA-funded Schools -- New Film: "The Iron Lodge - Western Democrats - Rustywire: Where are the You? seeking Native American vote - Poem: Let Me Dance - YELLOW BIRD: - Verse: Hawaiian Book of Days Spirit of the North completes cycle - Restaurants incorporate - Registry aims to protect Native Foods Tribal Logos - Moccasin Flats Aboriginal Drama - Tribal Campus addition - NAMMYS: depicts Dakota Culture Taos Puebloan Artist of Year - Moundville Park deals - OKC Sovereignty Rally with Staff, Program Cuts - Upcoming Events --------- "RE: American Indian Congress to push Unity" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL ITEM 1:NCAI" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.casperstartribune.net/~4ffb669a427988c8ba3.txt American Indian Congress opening Sunday to push unity, awareness By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press writer November 16, 2003 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Indian sovereignty. Trust reform. Political influence in the 2004 elections. They are among the thorny issues to be tackled by 3,000 Indian leaders when they gather for the National Congress of American Indians' 60th annual convention. The weeklong convention begins Sunday. Organizers hope the meeting -- titled "Sovereign Nations, One Enduring Voice" -- will promote unity and awareness across Indian Country. "Each tribe is an autonomous government and clearly has this autonomous government-to-government relation, but whenever you can get a larger voice, it's easier to be heard," said Jacqueline Johnson, NCAI's executive director. And with the 2004 elections looming, being heard takes on an even greater importance. The organization has invited candidates to present their platforms on Indian issues during the convention. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark were expected to appear, while other candidates planned to address the group via satellite. The organization started its vote and registration drive -- Native Vote 2004 -- earlier this year and made an early effort to contact the candidates. "We think it's really important to do that as they are thinking through their policy statements and creating their platforms," Johnson said. Competition for the Indian vote isn't as fierce as the national parties' fight for support from the growing Hispanic population, but Indians have shown signs of becoming a political force in recent years. During the 2000 presidential campaign, both George Bush and Al Gore wooed Indian voters in New Mexico. In the same year, Indian voters rallied to defeat Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., who had clashed with tribes over tribal self-governance and mining issues. In 2002, Indian voters made the difference in a Senate race in South Dakota and the governor's contest in Oklahoma. "Native Americans have recently shown a little bit of political muscle," Johnson said. "We've gotten engaged in the political debate." But it hasn't been easy getting Indians to the polls, namely because of geographic isolation, cultural barriers and a long-running suspicion of the U.S. government. "Historically, many tribal members think it's not going to affect them and their voice is not going to be heard anyway, so who cares," said Russ Lehman, managing director of the First American Education Project in Olympia, Wash. With the political victories in 2002, Lehman said, that attitude is beginning to change. The Indian vote in next year's election could play a pivotal role in some states, including New Mexico, Arizona, South Dakota, Washington and Oregon, he said. While the presidential election will be important, Lehman cautioned Indian leaders not to forget about other races. "Congress is where the action is, especially given what has happened with tribal sovereignty over the last few years," he said. Realistically, he said, tribes can have a bigger impact on policy by targeting those who directly drive the federal lawmaking process. Lehman added that the weeklong conference in Albuquerque is an ideal venue to start tribes talking about the impact their people can have. "It certainly doesn't hurt," he said. "The more it's talked about and the more tribal leaders can convey to their tribal members how important it is for their voices to be heard, the better." During the conference, members will develop platform statements for the 2004 election. They will also elect new officers and discuss health care, economic development, homeland security and trust reorganization. Johnson said trust reform is at the top of the list. A federal judge has ordered the Interior Department to account for royalties that were supposed to be collected from oil, gas, timber and grazing on Indian lands for more than a century. Lawyers for the Indians insist that, with interest, the account should be as much as $176 billion. They claim the government squandered billions of dollars that is owed to the Indian landowners. "We want to move forward and get beyond this," Johnson said. "People want trust reform. People want reform that's meaningful." Copyright c. 2003 by the Casper Star-Tribune, published by Lee Publications, Inc. --------- "RE: Museum, NAU Grad giving Natives a Voice" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL ITEM 2:ORAL PRESENTATIONS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=76917 Museum, NAU grad giving Natives a voice By SETH MULLER Sun Staff Reporter November 16, 2003 SUITLAND, Md. -- Just east of the Washington Beltway in a Maryland suburb, a group of Smithsonian Institute employees are gearing up for the September 2004 opening of the Museum of the American Indian -- mostly prepping the 800,000 Native American artifacts. But while the artifacts represent a major part of the museum's collection, former northern Arizona resident Sara Begay is working on staff to gather a different kind of collectible: audio tracks of Native Americans telling their stories. "Interviewing and telling stories of Native American people accurately and with sensitivity gives me a lot of satisfaction," Begay said. "I love giving Native American people a voice they don't seem to have, even though it's 2003." Begay -- a 1987 Page High School graduate and 1992 Northern Arizona University graduate -- accepted the Washington-based position with Smithsonian in June. Now, she's working on a series of recorded interviews called "Living Voices," which chronicles the stories and legends through Native Americans young and old. The work Begay does represents one of a number of unique projects happening at the museum's cultural resources center, which will operate in tandem with the museum, located on the last site of the National Mall in the center of Washington. "I have enjoyed learning and working for the Smithsonian Institute," Begay said. "It's amazing; it's beyond words. I can't describe the feeling of knowing that I'm doing a job that is pioneering for NMAI." Begay captures audio tracks for distribution to public radio, tribal radio and for schools. The sound bites become part of the museum, and play an important part given the Native American oral traditions. "The recordings are for educational purposes to share our Native American culture, stories, history and personal experiences so that we, Native and non-Native, can connect through that shared knowledge," Begay said. "I've observed that a lot of non-Native people don't know a thing about Native American people. I believe these pieces will build a bridge of understanding." Some of Begay's interviews have included Chris Cornelius, a Wisconsin Oneida who is an architect. He's incorporated a lot of the Oneida Creation Story and teachings into his designs. She also interviewed Harry Fonseca, who is Maidu from Santa Fe, N.M. Fonseca is a painter and does mixed-media art, for which he has received numerous awards. Begay learned about capturing and mixing audio during her work with public radio in Minnesota. She was contacted by the museum and urged to apply, and then took the position that moved her more than 2,000 miles from her home at the time in Window Rock. Begay joined Navajos and Native Americans from numerous other tribes who were hired to work for the museum. All of them have been enamored by the scale of the collection of artifacts -- collected by one man. George Gustav Heye of New York assembled the collection during a 54-year period beginning in 1903, and it covers Native American tribes from the southern tip of South America to Alaska. In the part of the building that houses the collection, eight totem poles line the back wall. They were righted by the use of a specialized high-powered crane, and the tallest pole -- measuring 45 feet -- is the single largest artifact in the collection. The most sacred items are placed high on racks out of reach of passersby. The Smithsonian also is allowing for repatriation -- where tribal officials view the collection in search of items they want to reclaim for their respective tribe. "And spirit leaders are invited here to bless the collection," said Natasha Johnson, who works in collections. "They leave offerings, corn pollen and tobacco, usually. The tribes from the Northwest often leave sea water." Everyone who works with the museum has their favorite items in the collection, and Begay said she loves the Iroquois raised beadwork items in the collection. "I love that style of beadwork because I lived among the Oneida," said Begay, who spent time living in Wisconsin. "The Iroquois items and the raise beadwork bring a lot of good feelings and memories to me when I lived among my Oneida friends and relatives." Once the museum is open and items are on display, Begay said she hopes Navajos and Hopis find an opportunity to visit. "I believe that any Navajo, Hopi, Ojibwe, Oneida or Potawatomi person will get much from seeing some of the very old Native American artifacts that aren't around in our families, tribes or communities any more," she said. "Some tribes, families and communities have done a good job of keeping those sacred, old items together, but not for public viewing or to be displayed or shared. That's the advantage of having the NMAI collections available to Native American people and other members of the public." Reporter Seth Muller can be reached at 913-8607 or smuller@azdailysun.com Copyright c. 2000-2003 Arizona Daily Sun. --------- "RE: Living History at Anishinabe Academy" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL ITEM 3: ANISHNABE ACADEMY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4213962.html Nick Coleman: At Minneapolis' Indian academy, history is something you live Nick Coleman, Star Tribune November 16, 2003 At Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis, history isn't just something you learn. History is something you live in, something your ancestors lived through, something that has been survived -- barely -- with courage and pride. All of which makes the proposed history and social studies standards being pushed by Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke seem almost irrelevant. At the Minneapolis public schools' new K-8 American Indian academy on Lake Street (Anishinabe means "all the people" in Ojibwe), the story of Indians didn't end when John Wayne hung up his guns. It is still going strong. Unfortunately, ignorance of Indian history is going strong, too. And the new, supposedly tougher history standards won't help much. The debate raging over Indian history -- part of a larger ideological war over how history and the social sciences should be taught -- is not just of academic interest. In a state like Minnesota, which has a rich but troubled history of relations between Indians and the majority culture, how we talk about this shared history has a real impact on real kids. "'They're drunks, their religion is voodoo, they can't hold a job, they're lazy,' " says Mavis Mantila, Anishinabe Academy's sixth-grade teacher, recounting the Indian stereotypes she encountered when she taught at another Minneapolis school. "All these damaging images -- how do we teach the truth?" Michael Huerth is principal of the school, which replaced Four Winds American Indian Magnet School this fall and has 227 students. Huerth, a former seminarian whose beliefs sound refreshingly moderate in an often- intemperate debate, opposes the standards because he says they emphasize rote learning of facts at the expense of understanding. "We should teach kids that Americans came together and made this a wonderful country," he says. "But we also hurt each other a lot in the process, and we should teach that, too. Maybe Commissioner Yecke is responding to a little bit of the excess on the other side. But we don't teach Indian kids hate, and we don't teach them guilt. What helps is empathy -- not sympathy, but empathy: 'I have some idea of what you feel, and of what went wrong.' " What may be going wrong in this debate is that instead of empathy, the committee that drafted the standards wants us to march to a vaudeville tune. The standards actually suggest that fourth-graders be asked to study George M. Cohan's cheery ditty, "You're A Grand Old Flag." Wow. School standards are getting tougher? Back in my day, I had to watch Jimmy Cagney movies on my own time. Think how much smarter I'd be if I had studied Cohan's second verse: "Any tune like 'Yankee Doodle' simply sets me off my noodle.' " Somebody's off their noodle, all right. By trying to take us back to Wally and the Beav, Minnesota is going against the flow. That might be a good thing in Yecke's eyes, but most other educators, such as the University of Minnesota's Brenda Child, say it's a retro move that ignores efforts to incorporate Indian history into the national narrative. "This takes us back to when Indians used to be left in the 19th century, " says Child, an Ojibwe who is an associate professor of American Studies and American Indian Studies. "It's part of a political agenda to revert back to the 1950s and emphasize the winners in American history." Child points out that the standards suggest that eighth-grade students learn about property rights and entrepreneurs during the development of the iron, lumber and milling industries that built Minnesota. But Indians -- who were stripped of much of their lands and wealth during that period -- are overlooked. The story of the White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, where huge chunks of timber were wrongfully taken, is not part of the standards. "Historians use White Earth nationally as a case study of political corruption, land loss and the disastrous results for Native Americans," Child argues. "But there's no mention here of politics, conflict, forced assimilation, tribal sovereignty, treaties or reservations. I don't know how you can teach Indian history without conflict." Instead of Indians who led resistance to the conquest of Indians -- Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Minnesota's own Little Crow -- we get a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade lineup of "good" Indians: Squanto, Pocahontas and Sacagawea. Yecke's standards -- intended as a corrective to sloppy liberal thinking -- are so politically correct themselves that they have no guts. The standards bow to diversity, but while they teach respect for American Indian culture, there is not enough respect for the American Indian -- or just plain American -- story. "It's impossible to make sense of Indian history if we only talk about culture," Child says. "These standards are pretty disheartening." To many, the standards look like state-approved happy talk -- a mom, the flag and apple pie approach to our national story sanitized for our protection. This will satisfy radio ranters. But it will leave non-Indian children thinking Indian history starts with Squanto and ends with Tonto. If that's how it goes, they won't just be clueless about Indian history. They will be ignorant of their own. "I do my worst work as a principal when I forget what my flaws are," Huerth says. "We're the same way as a country. We don't want to be overwhelmed by our mistakes, but we don't want to just concentrate on the happy facts, either. In the Pledge of Allegiance, it says 'liberty and justice for all.' But unless we have the liberty to express the fact that not everything is just -- and the liberty to pursue justice -- then we can't move forward." Nick Coleman is at ncoleman@startribune.com. Copyright c. 2003 Mineapolis Star Tribune. --------- "RE: Tale of two Tax Strategies" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EDITORIAL ITEM 4:DOUBLE STANDARD" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.timesunion.com/aspstories/story.asp?storyID=190041 Tale of two tax strategies As state weighs massive break for megamall developers, tribe says plan to impose levy threatens its business By JAMES M. ODATO, Capitol bureau November 16, 2003 SYRACUSE -- The massive Destiny USA project counts on state tax policy to help create thousands of jobs just north of downtown. The modest Onondaga Nation Smoke Shop worries state tax policy will kill dozens of jobs just south of the town. "At one end of the city, they're giving a tax break. At the other end, they're shutting us down," said Onondaga Chief Irving Powless Jr. In a tale of two tax strategies, New York political leaders want to give to one and take from another, setting off a debate on what is fair and reasonable. Some economists say the state will send a mixed message if it risks damaging an Indian reservation economy or reducing employment there while building up a project elsewhere with public subsidies. "Good public policy would probably not have either outcome," said economics professor Michael J. Wasylenko of Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Yet state legislative leaders and Gov. George Pataki support a measure pushed by Destiny's developers, the Pyramid Cos. Earlier this month, the governor said a deal is close. Proposed legislation would commit the state to giving Pyramid Cos. as much as $630 million in tax breaks over 14 years, leveraging a project expected to cost at least $2.2 billion. The bill under negotiation would require developers to build at least 3. 2 million square feet of new, income-producing real estate and to spend at least $1 billion before tax breaks start for Destiny, said Assemblyman William Magnarelli, D-Syracuse. The developers promise to create "the nation's new great destination ... the largest recreation, entertainment, dining and retail complex in North America." At the same time, the Pataki administration, at the behest of the state Legislature, plans to begin taxing all American Indian retailers in the state to ensure that excise and sales taxes are collected on cigarettes and gasoline sold to non-American Indians. In the past, Pataki has refused to enforce state tax laws on reservation retailers to avoid confrontations and lawsuits over tribal sovereign rights, but his administration is preparing to use a new tax rule. It calls for cigarette and gasoline wholesalers to tax tribal retailers ahead of sales. American Indians would get coupons for tax-free cigarettes and motor fuel. Enforcement was to begin next month, but the state announced Nov. 7 it will hold off at least until March while it assesses the complexities of the plan. The impact on the Onondaga reservation could be devastating, Powless said. The smoke shop, which sells only tobacco products and snacks, is the only store on the reservation and its principal source of tribal revenues. The Onondaga Indians follow traditional Iroquois principles and therefore eschew public subsidies and gambling businesses. The tribe won't reveal its sales volume, but by some estimates the state would collect only about $1 million more per year by taxing sales at Powless' store. In doing so, it could put about 60 store employees out on the street, according to Onondaga spokeswoman Wendy Gonyea. As many as 200 paychecks on the reservation could be lost as the impact ripples through the tiny economy. Services as diverse as heating stipends, language and cultural programs, water line improvements and maintenance of a buffalo herd would have to be cut. The store proceeds also helped the tribe afford a hockey rink/lacrosse arena that draws people from near and far, Powless said. "It's a tourist attraction that brings people in from Canada," he says. "They stay at hotels, eat at restaurants." He said the reservation store and the arena import wealth from outside the area and help support the economy of economically distressed central New York. Wasylenko, of Syracuse University, said Powless has a point. "The Native Americans are right; this is a symmetrical argument," he said. "Why would you give tax breaks to one and not the other? Destiny is getting a much bigger project and a much bigger tax break." Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, said about the Destiny legislation, "If it creates thousands of jobs in Syracuse, I am ready to do it." He said the Onondagas should work out a price-parity agreement with the state under which they would raise prices but keep the extra money. "As a result of the ability to sell cigarettes and gasoline below market rates, for every job on the reservation, you're losing a job in the private sector," he said. Like the Onondaga, Destiny's backers claim their venture means jobs built around a destination attraction, but say it would pack a much bigger wallop than the Indian enterprises. Michael Marr, a spokesman for the Department of Taxation & Finance, said it does not make sense to compare the differing tax schemes proposed for the different economic development ventures. He said Pataki is trying to abide by the wishes of the state Legislature in attempting to tax goods sold on reservations to non-Indians." With Destiny, he said, the governor wants to advance a project "in a way that will create thousands of jobs and provide tremendous economic growth for upstate New York." Destiny executive Michael Lorenz said his project means 18,000-28,000 construction jobs, 10,000-20,000 direct, permanent jobs and 122,000 jobs statewide, with $550 million in new tax revenue annually. The economic impact, he said, should reach $12 billion. He said the developers seek state commitments for $52 million in annual tax breaks for 14 years -- breaks the project would be eligible for because the site is in an Empire Zone. The breaks, however, would be available only if the assessed value of Destiny results in proposed property taxes of that level. Under current tax rates in Syracuse, that would require a value of $1.5 billion. Lorenz said the Destiny tax breaks are a bargain compared to the $42 million incentive package the state and unions last month offered Carrier Corp. to keep 1,200 jobs at Syracuse air conditioning factories. "The state's proposal to Carrier equated to $35,000 per job," he said. "Based on what we are proposing -- we propose 10,000 to 20,000 jobs on site -- that would be $7 billion." Destiny, Lorenz said, will be more than 5.5 million square feet of retail, dining and entertainment venues along with as many as 25,000 hotel rooms. Initial construction would involve 4,000 hotel rooms, an indoor water park with an aquarium, various restaurants, upscale retail outlets and other family-based attractions. Destiny would be indoors, offering spring-like weather year-round. The developers envision creating a golf course, greenhouse gardens, an aviary, fishing pond, ice skating rink, water and light shows, luxury spas, a convention center, eateries built into a "European hillside" and multiple hotels. Kent Gardner, director of economic analysis for the Center for Governmental Research in Rochester, said the state is caught up in a nationwide competition that requires it to nurture big, job-creating projects. "The inequity is just baked into the whole practice of offering incentives," he said. "I don't know how to fix that other than not doing any incentives at all. Then you get into the question of how the state competes with North Carolina." Jeffrey Stonecash, a Syracuse University political science professor, said he recently polled New Yorkers on the Destiny project and found that equal numbers oppose and favor the plan. Nevertheless, he said, state politicians said they feel compelled to help Destiny because upstate needs jobs. "I don't think there is some absolute standard on what is good public policy," he said. Tax policies always create winners and losers, adds Jeffrey Finkle, president of the International Economic Development Council. "The bottom line is there's a tendency by elected officials to support businesses where there are ribbon-cutting opportunities versus the existing business base," he said. Many people don't support the Onondaga argument because they oppose the tribal store's most profitable product. "There's not a lot of love lost for cigarettes,"said Harjit Arora, an economics professor at Lemoyne College in Syracuse. "This is a dying area, and Pyramid was the one big hope that they will bring some jobs." Copyright c. 1996-2003 Albany Times Union, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation. --------- "RE: Indian Funds count halted" --------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:16:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="COURT STAY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1114indianmoney14.html Indian funds count halted Appeals Court stay allows challenge to action by Congress Robert Gehrke Associated Press November 14, 2003 WASHINGTON - An accounting of money owed to hundreds of thousands of American Indians was put on hold Thursday as an Appeals Court considers whether recent action by Congress can overturn a federal judge's order. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued the stay so attorneys for the government and Indians suing the Interior Department can file briefs on the effect of the congressional action. In September, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Interior Department to conduct a thorough investigation into money that was supposed to be paid to Indians for oil, gas, timber and grazing activities on their land for more than a century. He said the accounting must be complete by 2007. But Congress, at the urging of the White House, added language to an Interior Department spending bill that prevented an accounting from going forward until Congress defines the scope and methods to be used. Hours after President Bush signed the bill into law, government attorneys sought to block Lamberth's order, arguing that the new law shields the Interior Department from the court's demands. "It's a clear act of bad faith to seek a stay based on an unconstitutional statute," said Dennis Gingold, attorney for the Indian plaintiffs. The Senate's legal counsel and House members from both parties said the provision is likely unconstitutional because the administration cannot dictate to courts how to interpret the law. Congress created the Indian trust fund in 1887 to manage revenues from parcels designated to each tribal member, but the money was often not collected or lost or stolen. In 1994, Congress passed legislation requiring the Interior Department to do an accounting. A group of Indians sued to force the accounting, and in 1999, Lamberth ordered the Interior Department to comply with Congress' demands. In September, frustrated at the lack of progress, Lamberth dictated how the accounting should be done and set strict deadlines for progress. The Interior Department has estimated that it could cost between $6 billion and $14 billion to do the audit Lamberth has demanded and that the accounts are likely off by only a few million dollars. Lawyers for the Indians insist that, with interest, the account should be worth as much as $176 billion and that tens of billions of dollars likely never made it to more than 300,000 Indian landowners. Copyright c. 2003 The Arizona Republic. --------- "RE: Indian Trust Attorneys to fight accounting delay" --------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRUST DELAY" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.newsok.com/cgi-bin/show_article?ID=1118775 Indian trust attorneys to fight accounting delay 2003-11-15 By Chris Casteel The Oklahoman WASHINGTON -- Attorneys for Indians suing the federal government over their trust accounts plan to argue next week that Congress violated the Constitution by intervening. Keith Harper, one of the lead attorneys for the Indians in the class- action suit, said Friday it is "patently unconstitutional" for Congress to delay a historical accounting of the Indians' money. The accounting, estimated to cost the government at least $6 billion, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth in September. But legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president last week prohibits the Interior Department from conducting the accounting before December 2004. The Interior Department has asked Lamberth and the U.S. Court of Appeals to relieve the government of its duty to perform the historical accounting because of the action by Congress. Harper said the Indians' attorneys will argue to the district and appeals courts next week that the judge's order shouldn't be altered because of an unconstitutional act of Congress. "Congress can't tell a court how to interpret existing law," Harper said. In the recent legislation, Congress expressed doubts that the 1994 law mandating reform of the trust account system required the historical accounting ordered by Lamberth. The trust accounts date to 1887 and were created by Congress after land was allotted to individual Indians. Tribes also have trust accounts, but the lawsuit, filed in federal court in 1996, involves the individual accounts. The bulk of the 260,000 existing accounts hold the royalties from oil and gas, timber, grazing and other leases on the Indian land. Numerous government reports over decades detailed problems with account management, and Congress passed legislation in 1994 mandating reforms to ensure the Indians' money was being properly collected and paid out. Elouise Cobell of Montana and several other Indians, including one from Oklahoma, sued in 1996, claiming the government was not complying with the law. In 1999, Lamberth agreed that the government was not fulfilling its trust responsibilities to the Indians. In September, after another trial, he ruled the government must reconcile every account. Neither side had requested that method of historical accounting, but the Indians don't want the judge's authority usurped by Congress. Many members of Congress have grown increasingly impatient with Lamberth's rulings and with the costs associated with the case. House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over Indian affairs have been pushing for a settlement. "Indian Country would be better served by a settlement of this litigation than the expenditure of billions of dollars on an accounting," states a report accompanying the legislation passed by Congress. "Those billions would not provide a single dollar to the plaintiffs, and would without question displace funds available for education, health care and other services." The Interior Department also argued last week that Lamberth had given himself too much control over the trust account system. "The court's wholesale assumption of executive branch responsibilities reflects a fundamentally mistaken assessment of the proper role of the judiciary and the nature of this case," the department contended. Copyright c. 2003 NEWS 9/The Oklahoman, Produced by NewsOK. --------- "RE: Sturgis Group will continue with Bear Butte Range" --------- Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 08:44:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="BEAR BUTTE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.bayarea.com/mld/~/7286835.htm Sturgis group tells court it will continue with shooting range DORIS HAUGEN Associated Press November 17, 2003 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A Sturgis group told a federal judge on Monday it will go ahead with plans to build a shooting range near Bear Butte despite complaints from American Indians who consider the site sacred. The Sturgis Industrial Expansion Corp. has proposed a $900,000 shooting range about four miles north of the mountain. Bear Butte, which rises 3, 100 feet above the prairie, also is a state park and is listed as a National Historic Landmark and a National Natural Landmark. Supporters of the Black Hills Sportsman's Complex say the range would boost economic development and give companies that make guns and ammunition a place to test and show their wares. It would be open to the public and to law enforcement for training and education. Opponents say the range would be too close to Bear Butte, where Indians have come to pray for thousands of years. Seven tribes and a local group have sued to stop it, saying gun noise would disrupt religious ceremonies. A second lawsuit against the shooting range was filed by seven Sturgis residents who were that federal Community Development Block Grant money had been tapped for the project. After the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development questioned income figures used to support the project, Gov. Mike Rounds returned $313,800 of HUD money that had already been spent. In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Karen Schreier on Monday, a lawyer for the developers said the project will continue. Additional information will be provided to the court in briefs to be filed before mid-December, lawyer Donald Knudsen said. Knudsen told The Associated Press he didn't know how much money the local group had raised for the project, but he noted no federal money will be used. Jim Leach, a Rapid City lawyer representing the opponents, said he was disappointed the group planned to go ahead with the project. The three paragraph letter to the court did little to shed any light on their reasons, said Leach. "This is a national historic site that has been used by Native American people for centuries for vision quests, fasting and prayer and Native Americans should not have to listen to gunfire as they try to pray just as no one should," he said. "We will be fighting this every step of the way." Charmaine White Face of Manderson, coordinator of Defenders of the Black Hills, said her group had hoped developers would move their project voluntarily. "We have been gearing up for this just in case," White Face said. "But it makes me sad that they would have disrespect for people's religious and spiritual beliefs. "I wish they would just move it to a location where it would not affect our prayers." Copyright c. 1996-2003 The Mercury News, Knight Ridder. --------- "RE: O'odham lived off Desert's rich Bounty" --------- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 23:03:18 -0700 From: "(_Akimel O`odham_)" Subj: O'odham lived off desert's rich bounty (Fwd) Mailing List: News and Information Distribution O'odham lived off desert's rich bounty By Jo Falls SPECIAL TO THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR Tucson, Arizona Thursday, 13 November 2003 Although some may think of the desert as dry and barren, the Sonoran Desert is actually a place of bounty. Since the first inhabitants came to the area more than 10,000 years ago, desert-dwelling peoples have relied on wild, native plants for food, medicine, shelter and other purposes. Ethnobotany is the study of relationships between people (ethno) and plants (botany). Over many generations, the Tohono O'odham of Southern Arizona learned which parts of plants to use, whether they were edible raw or must be cooked, and when to gather them. Mesquite pods were ground into cereals and flour. Providing protein and carbohydrates, mesquite flour would often sustain a family through the long winter. The sweet, juicy fruits of prickly pear and saguaro were eaten fresh or made into syrups and jams. Vegetable greens such as agave hearts, cholla buds and prickly pear pads were cooked for immediate consumption or dried for later use. Baskets, mats, sandals, ropes and other woven products were made with fibers from the leaves of agaves and yuccas, or stripped from the dried devil's claw seed pod. Cactus spines were used as needles, tree saps for waterproofing, and hardwood for construction. Medicinal teas were made from leaves, stems, and roots of a variety of plants. Poultices (to wrap sores and wounds) were formed from pastes of cooked leaves, stems and roots, applied warm and directly to the wound or inflammation; and powders were made from ground seeds or roots. Religious activities often surrounded the harvesting of certain plants, such as the saguaro wine ceremony of the O'odham, and plants were also used for religious and ceremonial purposes - tobacco for prayers, corn for blessings, amaranth for offerings, and gourds for musical instruments. Fresh foods were available only for short periods and only at certain times of the year. The people would take advantage of the temporary bounty, eating their fill and storing staples such as mesquite pods and saguaro fruit for future use. These gatherers moved seasonally with the availability of wild foods. In the summer, the O'odham lived in the desert valleys, harvesting the cactus and legume trees and caring for their floodwater-irrigated farms, planted with tepary beans, corn and squash. In the winter, they traveled to the mountain foothills where there were reliable water sources, acorns to gather and game to hunt. Native plants are protected by state law and may not be harvested or removed from public lands without a permit. On private land, always obtain the owner's permission. Caution should always be exercised when using native plants as a food or medicinal source. We can make no claims as to the effectiveness of any plant as a medicine and all plants used for food should be carefully identified before being gathered, prepared or consumed. Jo Falls is director of public programs at Tohono Chul Park. Copyright c. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Narragansett to reclaim ancient Burial Ground" --------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:16:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RECLAIM BURIAL GROUNDS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.projo.com/southcounty/projo_20031114_ntribe14.23eb84.html Tribe receives grant to reclaim ancient burial ground November 14, 2003 By PAUL DAVIS Journal Staff Writer CHARLESTOWN - Long before the Colonists called Rhode Island home, the Narragansett Indians fished ponds and buried their dead in villages near the coast. Yesterday, the tribe received a half-million dollars from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to reclaim one of those sites, part of a centuries-old burial ground. Tribal members plan to use the money as part of a $2-million deal to buy 60 acres on Great Salt Pond from the developer, Downing Salt Pond Partners. The land is part of the Salt Pond Seaport Village, a subdivision halted about 10 years ago after the developer discovered part of an early burial ground off Point Judith Road. If the tribe can't raise the additional $1.5 million needed to buy the site, it will pay $500,000 for 10 house lots. Under the agreement, the developer will bury any artifacts or remains found in the rest of the subdivision on the tribe's property. The developer will pay the tribe $250, 000 for permission to reinter the remains. The money, from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, comes after more than two years of negotiations between tribal officials and Richard P. Baccari. Baccari, a big Rhode Island developer, built the nearby Salt Pond Shopping Center. "This will protect the graves of our ancestors," said Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas, who met with regional and local Fish & Wildlife officials yesterday. John Brown, the tribe's historic preservation officer, said the tribe sued to stop the subdivision. Brown said he scoured the papers of Yale Indian law expert Felix Cohen to help the tribe reclaim the burial site. "It took us two to three years, but the job is done. Sympathy and empathy is good. Fulfilling your obligations -- doing what you're supposed to do -- is better," said Brown, who urged Fish & Wildlife officials to help the tribe protect other sites. "We want to move forward ... without losing any of our ancient and honored past." Richard O. Bennett, acting director of Fish & Wildlife's northeast region, presented Thomas with an oversized check at the tribe's headquarters. The real check is in the works, he said. "Good things come to those who wait," Bennett said. Not only will the deal protect important Indian land, it will also protect woods used by ducks and other birds, he said. Sen. Jack Reed, local wildlife officials and Baccari all worked with the tribe, said Thomas and Bennett. Thomas also praised Brown and Doug Harris, the tribe's deputy historic preservation office, for their help. Archaeologists and tribal members say the early Narragansett Indians fished, stored food and buried their dead on the land as early as 1200 A.D. But the site also contains artifacts and remains from villages as late as the 1800s, Brown said. Copyright c. 2003 Providence Journal, Belo Interactive, Inc. --------- "RE: Cherokee get Ravensford Land in swap" --------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:16:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="EBC LAND SWAP" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/gosmokies/article/0,1406,KNS_374_2426757,00.html Cherokee get Ravensford land in swap By TIM WHITMIRE, Associated Press November 14, 2003 CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A land trade involving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a coveted parcel inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a done deal. President Bush signed into law Monday a $20.2 billion Interior Department appropriations bill that orders the National Park Service to hand over 143 acres in Swain County inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In exchange, the Cherokees are to give the park service 218 acres adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson County. Tribal leaders say they need the land - in an area known as Ravensford - to build schools to replace old and overcrowded facilities in the town of Cherokee. "We are jubilant that this historical wrong will be righted and the Cherokee children will have new schools in which to learn," tribal chief Michell Hicks said following congressional passage of the legislation. The tribe has said it was promised the parcel in 1940 in exchange for land used to construct the Blue Ridge Parkway. The provision mandating the land swap was inserted into the appropriations bill by U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, R-N.C., during meetings of a House-Senate conference committee that determined the final form of the bill Bush received. Taylor chairs the House subcommittee on Interior appropriations. The move ends a debate that was being conducted by the park service on whether to make the swap. The period in which the public was asked to comment on the swap ended in August. "It's basically a done deal regardless of whatever happens with the public debate," said Bob Miller, a spokesman for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "The park service never completed its decision-making process." The tribe had been seeking the land deal for decades, and spent a reported $1.5 million to document the deal's environmental effects. The act signed by Bush bars any use of the land for gaming activities and sets aside a section as undevelopable, to protect views from the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway. Copyright c. 2003 The Knoxville News Sentinel Co. --------- "RE: Fencing of Hopi Land could provoke fight" --------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="FENCED HOPI LAND" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.gallupindependent.com/11-15-03fencingofhopilandc.html Fencing of Hopi land could provoke fight Kathy Helms Dine' Bureau November 15, 2003 FORT DEFIANCE - Fencing of land awarded to the Hopi Tribe in a 1992 court decision sparked heated debate among members of the Navajo Nation last Saturday during a special meeting at To' Nanees' Dizi Chapter in Tuba City. Some say the threat of deadly confrontation is a real possibility. According to Navajo Nation Attorney General Louis Denetsosie, in 1934 the Hopi Tribe claimed 3 million acres for their reservation but were awarded approximately 60,000 acres near Moenkopi in the 1992 decision, including a portion known as Pasture Canyon, which also was claimed by Navajo. In rendering the decision, a U.S. District Court judge also determined that the San Juan Southern Paiutes used approximately 40,000 acres in 1934, but that the court lacked statutory authority to partition lands to them and lifted the Bennett Freeze. The rest of the land remained Navajo. In 1995, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the partitioning of land to the Hopi but said the district court did not have authority to lift the Freeze, and kicked some issues back to the lower court, including claims to various religious sites. The Hopi and Paiute appealed the court decision and the judge refroze some of the land. The Navajo appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court but the high court refused to hear the case. Navajos attending Saturday's meeting expressed concerns that once fencing was in place, provisions made by the judge for watering livestock would not be sufficient to meet their needs. Some ranchers also said their cattle already had been impounded by the Hopi and taken to Keams Canyon, even though the area where they strayed had not yet been fenced. Though the Hopi could have fenced Pasture Canyon at any time since the 1992 decision, "Nothing has been done for 11 years," Denetsosie said. "Now they're going to fence it and it's causing alarm. If there's no fencing, there can be no impounding. If there is fencing and animals get in there, they can be impounded." One of the problems with the 1992 decision, he said, is "When Judge (Earl) Carroll issued that order saying the Hopi can fence that Pasture Canyon area and set up one trough for the water, people did not really look at how many cattle or animals there were out there, and obviously we have to go look at that issue again and we have to take into consideration how much water is needed." Judge Carroll also did not specify dimensions for the water trough to be installed by Hopi. "It was pretty generic, so the option for us there is to reach some kind of agreement with the Hopis and go back and amend that court order," Denetsosie said. "Money will be a problem because people are talking about multiple troughs for their animals and water tanks with maybe even solar powered wells. I don't think the Hopi are going to put that kind of money into it. Plus, there's the Freeze that's still there and if we're going to build anything we have to get consent from the Hopi if the Navajo tribe is going to spend money there." Clayton Honyumptewa of the Hopi Land Office said one of the Hopi's first priorities is to get the water in before fencing starts, but that the water tank is being held up because one of the Navajo grazing officers has been slow to provide requested information. "We've asked for a listing of permitted animals, or people that have permits within those areas, and they've never given us that, so we're not able to figure out how big a tank we need to put in," Honyumptewa said. "We've got all of the designs which were done by the Bureau of Reclamation. We have designs to put in a water tank and water troughs and what-not outside the area that's going to be fenced in," he said. "What we need right now is what their animal capacity is, what they have grazing out there, and the people that are permitted." Honyumptewa said there is a portion of the canyon that the Hopi have fenced off with a cable, but that is the portion to be designated as a public park. "Judge Carroll ordered that there be a public park, so that's below the reservoir," he said. "They're going to rehabilitate that area and eradicate the Russian olive, tamarask and camel thorn. They're trying to eradicate those non-native species and then hopefully put in a public park." According to Honyumptewa there were some impoundments in September, "but they were picked up in the Moenkopi administrative area. There are about 1, ,050 acres that's the administrative area. If they're within that area, the farming area, they will pick them up. But if it's Pasture Canyon, it's not fenced. We don't have the authority to pick them up right now." Honyumptewa said the same rules apply out on the range on the south side of the Moenkopi Wash until it's fenced. "Then we can start impoundments under Ordinance 43," he said. A five-day notice will be placed at the post office or the store, giving violators five days to come forward and remove the animals, he said. Frank Bilagody, vice president of the Tuba City Chapter, said Navajos are concerned where animals are going to drink if the Hopi fence off the water. "The Navajo are very forceful in objecting to that. There are threats from Navajo that if Hopi fence, they're going to tear them down, because livestock is their livelihood. "There is going to be confrontation. There is going to be life that is going to be hurt," Bilagody said. He also passed out letters from a Sept. 30 meeting with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in which he outlined concerns during a meeting regarding the Pasture Canyon fencing. "Confrontations are going to occur whether we say it's not going to happen. There are people on the other side who are really upset about this situation and I believe that there are people on the Hopi side who feel the same. People can be hurt and even deaths might occur. Communication is very important ...," Bilagody stated in the letter. "One concern is livestock impoundment and we have to face reality that will happen and if that should happen, the livestock should not be taken to Keams Canyon because of the long trip and the cost of claiming the animal(s) back," he stated, and recommended that Memorandum of Agreement be established between the Village of Moenkopi and the Tuba City Chapter. Rosemary Williams said her livestock already had been impounded several times and taken to Keams Canyon. She produced receipts amounting to approximately $300 which she had paid to reclaim the animals. Another issue raised during the meeting was that Navajo religious practices in the Pasture Canyon area were not addressed in the 1992 court decision. "We as Navajo used the area for years and years to gather medicine. There are holy places there. These were not addressed," Bilagody said. "It's time not to sit back. We need to be involved. ... I don't blame the people if they come up with strong voices, because they were not told what was going to happen." Maria Wilson, a resident affected by the fencing said, "We're not saying no to fencing, but we don't have the water. That's not working together. We want the water piped out from above the reservoir." She also said that maybe the Hopi should "fence your whole reservation in so there won't be these problems." Lloyd Billy admonished the Tuba City delegates and chapter president, who were absent from the meeting. "We wish that the chapter officials could work with the council delegates but the council delegates are not here." Williams agreed. "Where's our president, Leo Begay? When we want help, when we want assistance, we do not get it!" Some questioned the absence of Tuba City Grazing Officer Angela Begay, while Juanita Burns ticked off the names of the delegates. "Where is Harry Goldtooth, Hope McDonald-Lonetree, Raymond Maxx, Harry Williams?" She also questioned Begay's absence. "We want Robert back!" she said, referring to former Tuba City Chapter President Robert Yazzie. Several in the audience applauded. Lucille Saganitso asked to make an open statement to tribal leaders. "We trust our beliefs and our faith for you to take it to Window Rock. If the leaders were on top of this, we wouldn't be in this mess. ... We're ranchers, we're farmers. Don't take that away from us." A follow-up meeting was tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m. Dec. 6. Copyright c. 2003 the Gallup Independent. --------- "RE: County apologizes to Lac Vieux Desert" --------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:16:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="RACIST WEB POSTING" http://www.ironwooddailyglobe.com/1113trib.htm County apologizes to tribe November 13, 2003 By ANDY HILL Globe Associate Editor BESSEMER -- "Certainly there is no intent here. The apology is from the heart," said Gogebic County commissioner Don Pezzetti, speaking for his fellow county board members Wednesday. The board unanimously voted to write and individually sign a letter of apology to the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. At issue was a posting on the county Web site regarding the county's history, particularly that of its native people. The board was responding to a letter from giiwegiizhigookway (formerly Elizabeth) Martin, who described herself as "a very hurt, angered Lac Vieux Desert tribal member." The author of the Web item entitled "The Evolution of the Indians" is unknown, according to county clerk Jerry Pelissero. He offered a forthright explanation of how the item landed on the county Web site. "They grabbed the county 'history file' from the clerk's office and typed the material in," he said. Richard Adams, prosecutor and corporate counsel to the board, wrote a Nov. 7 letter of apology and explanation to the tribe. "The project of creating our county's home page was taken on by a volunteer," Adams said. "He put a lot of time into it and had summer workers enter data from this historical folder as part of the project. We were negligent in not reviewing the text before it was posted." George Beck, economic development officer for the tribe, said there was no small amount of anger. He read the Martin letter to commissioners. What is clear is that the document was written decades ago. It portrays the people of Lac Vieux Desert as wards of the government, discusses Native American spiritual beliefs in a condescending way and accuses the tribe of "inflicting unheard of cruelty upon ... white settlers." It further portrayed the Chippewa as a "weaker race." Beck said he had raised the issue some time ago and had believed the item was removed from the Web site. Since then, more than 20,000 individuals have visited the site, Beck said. Adams asked the tribe to contribute appropriate historical material for display on the site. The county board concurred. Copyright c. 2003 Ironwood (MI) Daily Globe, Bliss Communication Inc. --------- "RE: Risky behavior high at BIA-funded Schools" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="STUDENTS AT RISK" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.helenair.com/articles/2003/11/17/montana_top/a08111703_01.txt Study shows risky behavior high at BIA-funded schools BY SHAWN WHITE WOLF - IR Staff Writer November 17, 2003 A report of schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs showed a large number of students engaging in behaviors that put them at risk for premature death and disability. For example, over 80 percent of students had used alcohol at least once in their lifetime, while nearly 49 percent currently still use alcohol. And 38 percent of students said they engaging in heavy drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Office of Indian Education last week released the results of a survey known as Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System that was completed in 2001. The survey measures the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among adolescents through representative school-based surveys conducted at the national, state, and local levels and among certain populations. In Montana, BIA funds two schools, according to a spokesperson at the BIA's education office in Billings. The Blackfeet Boarding Dormitory, located on the Blackfeet Reservation, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School in Busby, Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two Eagle River School in Pablo, Flathead Reservation, is funded by a BIA region based out of Portland, Ore. - Over 5,600 questionnaires were completed out of 8,500 students from 66 eligible BIA-funded schools. The BIA-funded schools are located on 63 reservations in 23 states. There are 185 schools with approximately 50,000 students from grades K-12. - Nearly 87 percent of the students reported a lifetime usage of cigarettes, meaning usage at least once. More than 56 percent reported current usage of cigarettes, while 24 percent said they frequently use cigarettes. - Results also showed an increase of substance and alcohol abuse by grade level and a higher rate of current drug usage and heavy drinking among males. - Nearly half of female respondents showed current marijuana use, while one-fifth reported a lifetime usage of cocaine and methamphetamine. Reporter Shawn White Wolf can be reached at 447-4028 or shawn.whitewolf@helenair.com Copyright c. Helena Independent Record; a division of Lee Enterprises. --------- "RE: Western Democrats seeking Native American vote" --------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="INDIAN VOTE" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/148375_pot15.html Potomac Watch: Western Democrats seeking Native American vote By CHARLES POPE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT November 15, 2003 WASHINGTON - With the U.S. electorate almost perfectly divided, Republicans and Democrats are working hard to cultivate every interest group regardless of size, knowing that every stray vote can mean the difference between winning and losing a tight election. Republicans, like Democrats, have been aggressively reaching out to Hispanics for several years. In the 2000 presidential race, George Bush cut a commercial featuring his nephew, whose mother is Mexican. Bush also has appeared before Hispanic groups and speaks Spanish whenever possible. This week, Democrats staged a not-so-subtle overture of their own, setting up a campaign to persuade Native Americans and Eskimos to vote and, of course, to vote Democratic. "The Native Vote 2004 Initiative is an important effort to engage tribal members and communities directly in the electoral process," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., at a news conference to kick off the initiative conceived by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Murray was joined by a collection of Western lawmakers and former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles to publicize the effort that Democrats say is "designed to empower Native Americans by bringing them to the Democratic table and to show them the respect that they deserve." The effort makes sense to anybody familiar with Western politics. Support -- and lots of money -- from Native Americans helped Maria Cantwell defeat incumbent Republican Slade Gorton in 2000. And last year, Democratic incumbent Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota won re-election by a mere 524 votes. Most analysts believe his support from Native Americans made the difference. "The 2002 South Dakota election has made me into the poster child for Indian voter participation," Johnson said. "When you win an election by 524 votes, every vote counts and many groups can take credit. However -- I can say that without the efforts of tribes, I would not be here today," he said. The initiative calls for the DSCC to negotiate agreements with the state Democratic Party in South Dakota, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Washington and Alaska to allow the party's campaign operatives in each state to work with tribes to raise money. That money, DSCC officials said, will be "used to empower Native Americans, to register Native Americans to vote, to educate Native Americans about the benefits of participating in the electoral process and to fund get out the vote operations. Under the agreements, funds raised for the Native Vote 2004 Initiative will also pay for Native American organizers to work directly on these activities in Native American areas." Unsaid but implied, of course, is that the generous work by Democrats will be rewarded on Election Day. "The DSCC Native Vote 2004 project will help equalize the playing field for Native Americans across the country so that Natives are better able to make a significant difference on the makeup of the Senate," Johnson said. "The DSCC has devised a plan whereby Natives are encouraging Natives to vote and where Natives are shown the respect they deserve in the political system." Happy campers With a constant push from the White House and Congress to streamline, reduce, rearrange and privatize the federal work force, it's no wonder that the federal employees are a demoralized bunch. But there are some islands of sunshine in the gloom. The Seattle office of the Environmental Protection Agency, for one. According to a government wide satisfaction survey of federal employees released this week, the EPA's Seattle office ranked No. 6. The survey measured such things are leadership within a workplace, the degree to which an employee's skills match his or her mission, teamwork, pay and benefits and the ability to balance life and work. The survey, which was conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and American University of Washington, D.C., was based on responses from 100,000 federal workers. Researchers found that science-based agencies such as NASA, the EPA and the National Science Foundation scored especially high. "One of the things you see in organizations that successfully navigate difficult times is a work force that cares about what they are doing, is committed to their job," said Max Stier, president of Partnership for Public Service. One reason that the EPA's regional offices scored well, researchers surmised, is that "employees see a lot of action outside the Beltway." And they also have a vested interest in doing their job well. "Employees live in the very environment they are tasked with safeguarding, and they take their stewardship of our natural resources seriously," the report noted. Top 10 federal agencies as places to work: 1. Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA) 2. Johnson Space Center (NASA) 3. Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) 4. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 -- Denver, Kennedy Space Center (NASA) -- tie 6. EPA Region 10 -- Seattle 7. EPA Region 9 -- San Francisco 8. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (Treasury Department) 9. Federal Supply Service (General Services Administration), Langley Research Center (NASA) -- tie Source: Partnership for Public Service ----- Potomac Watch is a weekly look at issues and personalities in Washington, D.C. P-I Washington correspondent Charles Pope can be reached at 202-263-6461 or charliepope@seattlepi.com Copyright c. 1996-2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer. --------- "RE: YELLOW BIRD: Spirit of the North completes cycle" --------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="YELLOW BIRD COLUMN" http://www.grandforks.com/~/dorreen_yellow_bird/7267536.htm DORREEN YELLOW BIRD COLUMN: Spirit of the North completes the cycle November 15, 2003 As I drove west on U.S. Highway 2 a few weeks ago, I could see dark clouds spreading and widening. The clouds looked like the head of a beast with full wings extended moving steadily toward me. In the distance, I could see a sheet of white reaching from sky to road. Then, doily-like flakes began hitting the windshield and melting. The pace of the snowfall picked up until it was falling hard and turning the road white. Winter is here. Maybe it was this place on the open highway in a world surrounded by falling snow that made me feel sad and disappointed that the spirit of the North shrouded my world. Maybe it's because I wasn't home, warm and cozy, looking out at the snow beginning to fall. Or maybe I'm sad, because the snow is a sign summer is gone. My adventures in the region are almost ended for the year. I am reminded of an anthill where the tiny insects scurry without stopping. That is how I was this summer. I was all over the place, moving and doing this and that. Summertime is so limited; I try to squeeze everything I can into the warm months. So, I follow the ripening berries, catch them when I can and put them in jars. I try to visit as many places as I can and usually make weekly treks home to the reservation to visit the relatives. One year, I even had a garden. Winter causes my world to shrink. I spent time the past summer at Lake of the Woods and on the softly moving Rainy River in Canada. I visited many lakes and wetlands in the middle of the state, walked the rolling gold of the open prairie and photographed the Badlands and grasslands of North Dakota. As I drove west, I wondered what Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge looked like with all the snow and cold. Frozen tight with ice, I would guess. The thousands of nests in the pelican rookeries would be covered with the white of snow instead of the white of feathers. I smiled to myself. I could see those big white birds with the ink-tipped wings, lounging casually in some fancy lake in Florida, with pink flamingos on their right and alligators lurking on their left. The coming of ice and snow will mean I'll travel only on the good days. But winter has its good time, too. So, I turn my mind to what I love about the white and cold - that beautiful and powerful spirit. The snow can be beautiful, especially from a window when you're inside and warm. When the moon is full and there has been a new snow, the white sparkle on the ground makes it almost like day. It's so wonderful that you want to join those big white rabbits as they play in the snow. Winter is a time for rest and contemplation. It's a time for sewing quilts and making new things, mixing weighty stews that cook all day and fill the house with an aroma that makes you feel good. It is time to pull out those recipes for banana bread and cookies. It is time to make yeasty loaves of bread. Maybe, it's also time to read those books I promised I would review. As the car came out of the snow squall and flakes turned into rain, I knew that this is the way the year would be. Spring will come, but for now, we are in the arms of the winter. And I need to remember every season has its wonder. This is the Northern spirit's time, and I will enjoy His visit. ------ Yellow Bird writes columns on Tuesday and Saturday. Reach her at by phone at 780-1228 or (800) 477-6572, extension 228, or by e-mail at dyellowbird@gfherald.com. Copyright c. 2003 Grand Forks Herald/Grand Forks, ND. --------- "RE: Registry aims to protect Tribal Logos" --------- Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 08:16:04 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="TRIBAL LOGO REGISTRY" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1114tribal-logo130.html Registry aims to protect tribal logos Billy House Republic Washington Bureau November 14, 2003 WASHINGTON - Federal officials want to help the 562 federally recognized Indian tribes across the nation protect their official tribal insignias and logos from being used for commercial purposes. The Patent and Trademark Office is asking for wider tribal participation in a comprehensive federal database of tribal insignias and logos, a tool it says will help detect trademark applications that could create "false associations" between various commercial products and services and Native American tribes. The database of tribal insignias is designed to be an informational tool for agency examiners who must determine whether any trademark applications would be confusingly similar. The idea is a result of legislation sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. Bingaman's efforts were prompted by the ubiquitous use of the Zia sun symbol, considered sacred to the New Mexico-based Zia Pueblo Tribe, on such things as the New Mexico flag, state road signs, license plates and countless commercial ventures. The Zia Pueblos have spent a lot of money in legal costs over the years to block numerous efforts by businesses and others to get legal claim to the symbol, according to Bingaman. The agency's stepped- up effort to promote its tribal-insignia database comes more than two years after the formal launch of the program in August 2001. But so far, only seven tribes have submitted insignias. None of Arizona's 22 tribes has done so. The government is also urging state-recognized tribal governments to participate in the registration effort. "A comprehensive database of official insignias of federally- and state- recognized tribes will help (the agency) avoid registering such logos," Jon W. Dudas, deputy undersecretary for the office, wrote in a letter to tribes. Dudas likens the misappropriation of a tribal insignia to someone registering a logo similar to that of a prestigious university, when that party really has no connection to the university. Respect for symbol In a recent interview, Zia Pueblo Gov. Gilbert Lucero said it's not so much the widespread use of the sun symbol that bothers the tribe. Rather, it's a matter of respect. "We're proud. We want to share. But for gosh sakes, acknowledge who it belongs to and get permission to use it," he said. "And if you use the symbol, tell the story of where you got it. Teach people what it means." He said New Mexico has agreed to do that. Although Bingaman's legislative efforts initially were intended to protect against efforts to trademark such sacred tribal symbols, the Patent and Trademark Office database is limited to listing official tribal insignias and logos. The insignias must be a flag or coat of arms or other emblem or device, but not words or letters. For an insignia to be entered into the database, a tribe is asked to submit to the agency a formal tribal resolution adopting the emblem as its official insignia. Agency spokeswoman Brigid Quinn explained that the database setup is the result of hearings and other extensive public comment. Bingaman spokeswoman Jude McCartin said the database goes "as far as current law would allow us to go"; that is, giving tribes the same protection against trademarking of their official insignias as is given to the United States, the states, municipalities and foreign nations. She said the senator is pleased he was able to get "something done" and praised the agency for its efforts at alerting all of the tribes to the database. No urgency foreseen Officials from several Arizona tribes had different opinions about whether having their official insignias entered was a good thing. But none said they saw any real urgency. "Our insignia is basically a derivative of everything in Navajo culture," said Deana Jackson, a spokeswoman for Navajo President Joe Shirley. She said the Navajos would certainly object if someone were to try to trademark the insignia, or elements of it, "for something of an offending nature." But Jackson said the tribe is unaware of any such misuses. Similarly, Hualapai Tribal Chairwoman Louise Benson said she is unaware of any inappropriate uses of that tribe's official insignia. But, she said, the tribe probably will eventually ask that its insignia be included in the database. Kim Secakuku, a spokeswoman for the Camp Verde Yavapai-Apache Nation, said she understands why so many tribes have not responded to the agency. "They don't want to be put in a position of trademarking their symbols because that will draw more attention to them in the outside world," Secakuku said. "Many of those symbols are very sacred and private for the respective tribes." Tribes that already have entered their insignias are the California- based Redding Rancheria Wintu Yana Pit River; the Nanitcoke Lenni-Lenape Indians of New Jersey; the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; the Quinault Indian Nation of Washington; the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians in Oregon; the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma; and the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee. Reach the reporter at billy.house@arizonarepublic.com or 1-(202)-906-8136. Reporter Mark Shaffer contributed to this article. Copyright c. 2003 The Arizona Republic. --------- "RE: Tribal Campus addition depicts Dakota Culture" --------- Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 08:12:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="SISSETON-WAHPETON" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/7242433.htm Tribal campus addition depicts Dakota culture Sisseton-Wahpeton building features giant drum, singers American News Writer November 12, 2003 Four singers and a giant drum are in the future for Sisseton-Wahpeton College. The tribal college, one of 34 in the nation, is building a new vocational education building shaped as such. Building designer Victor Runnels and architect Dean Marske, both of Aberdeen, are overseeing the project. The college with about 290 students first contacted Marske, who had done some work for Sisseton-Wahpeton before. The college wanted him to design the new building. "They wanted to emphasize the Dakota Indian image," Marske said. Feeling that he didn't know enough about the Dakota Indian culture, he went in search of an artist who had some architecture experience. "From the first day I met with Victor I was excited about what he brought," Marske said. "Both of us could see the potential of what this could possibly be." Runnels said the chance to work on designing a building that would pay tribute to the Dakota heritage was "like a miracle." When Marske called him in February, Runnels was facing some health problems. "I was just really sick and without any energy," Runnels said. "After Dean called me, my creative energies kicked in again." Bill Harjo Lonefight, president of the Sisseton-Wahpeton College, said the design is more than what the school had asked for. He had asked for a design that was "culturally contextual" and "environmentally sound." "We were swept away," Lonefight said about the design created by Marske and Runnels. Pam Wynia, director of development for the college, said school officials were impressed that Marske and his employer, the architectural firm HKG & Associates of Aberdeen, had taken the time to get Runnels' input on the design. "We were all pretty enamoured with it when we first saw it," she said. Runnels originally designed a variation of the building for a national contest for the Little Bighorn Battlefield Memorial about five years ago. The Sisseton-Wahpeton building, called "Song of the Great Spirit," Runnels said, "represents the Dakota people's spiritual relationship to the great spirit." Inside the octagon-shaped drum will be space for classes and offices. The four singers standing with drumsticks will surround the drum. The top third part of the singer figures, mainly the heads and shoulders, will be made of molded fiberglass and the rest will be from pre-cast concrete. "Originally the figures were going to be strictly ornamental," Runnels said. However, college officials decided they wanted to access the rooftop. Marske said he redesigned the building so the rooftop could hold about 300 people for graduations or outdoor dinners. The singer figures will house stairways in two, an elevator in one and storage areas in the other. The building will be in earth-tone colors. The 13,831-square-foot two-story building will allow the college to add classes such as carpentry, electronics, plumbing, jewelry-making and home economics. A two-story space will allow students to use the skills they learn to build a house indoors, Marske said. "They'll be able to build a 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home inside and then bring it outside through an overhead door," he said. The construction broke ground last month with a $1.6 million budget and is expected to finish in time for the building's July 4 dedication next year, Marske said. Runnels said he's happy that the college saw the potential in the design. "I feel I've designed a $20 million building for under $2 million," he said. "It'll look like a giant sculpture." While the main purpose of the building is for education, Marske and Runnels said the unique design will also attract prospective students and tourists. "The college is located two miles off Interstate 29, so we feel that it will become a tourist attraction and draw attention to the college," Marske said. Runnels agrees. "I've always looked at architecture as part of economic development, part of tourism," he said. "That all comes to play with this building for sure." Lonefight said this building will serve as the first step of the school's expansion plan. "I think this building is going to be more than a building for the college, it's going to be a regional landmark," he said. The structure is also something the students can take pride in, Lonefight said. "I've always been a strong believer in creative thinking and doing something different," he said. "This is not more expensive than a regular building. It's taking the same old stuff and putting it in a new and creative way." Runnels has painted a drawing of the four singers and the drum for commercial prints to sell in found-raisers. Runnels, 68, had studied art in Chicago and worked as a commercial artist there. Over the years, he has been an art director, artist in residence and instructor for various organizations and schools in the United States and in Europe. Marske, 46, worked as an architect in North Dakota and Minnesota before joining HKG and Associates 15 years ago. The duo had such a great experience working together, they've decided to continue their partnership to work on future projects, including a master plan for the college. But the vo-tech building is their top priority right now. "This building can make a real positive image of the Dakota people, the way the world views them," Runnels said. "It'll present a real image on (how) the Dakota people view themselves." Reporter Jera Stone (605) 622-2329 or 1-800-925-4100 ext. 329; jstone@aberdeennews.com. Copyright c. 2003 Aberdeen News. --------- "RE: Moundville Park deals with Staff, Program Cuts" --------- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:58:03 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="MOUNDVILLE CUTS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/~/106906421376731.xml Moundville park deals with staff, program cuts EMILY KORNEGAY Special to The News November 17, 2003 MOUNDVILLE - Every fall, Moundville Archaeological Park's Native American Festival educates and entertains more than 17,000 people with art, history and portrayals of American Indian culture. The park attracted more than 10,000 students, teachers and visitors last year with craft classes, summer day camps, school outreach programs and guided tours. The west Alabama park's mounds mark what was the largest settlement north of Mexico 800 years ago. Three thousand people once lived in an area that has brought in archaeologists from around the world. Despite that success, park officials are eliminating programs and reducing staff in the face of cutbacks in state spending, especially in the education budget. Even the Native American Festival could be in danger. An appropriation from the state-funded Alabama Indian Resource Center provides the principal chunk of Moundville's operating budget and covers the cost of holding the annual fall festival, its biggest money-making event. Three years ago, the park got $100,000 from the center, but that was cut to $59,000, then to one-quarter of that this year. The money will be gone next year. The park falls under the umbrella of the University of Alabama Museums and receives some financial support from UA. However, the park's staff also anticipates further budget cuts from the university as it braces for more reductions in spending next year. "We are hoping our cuts will not affect Moundville any more," said Richard A. Diehl, executive director of University Museums for the past five years. "But the loss of the state appropriation was devastating, and the 2004-2005 budget will be an absolute train wreck." Diehl added: "People talk about cutting out the fat. We're cutting down to bone here." Bill Bomar, director of the Moundville park, agrees. He said the park must restructure to compensate for the loss in funding. "We're looking at staff reductions; we may no longer be able to put on big programs; it's happening so suddenly we can't recover," Bomar said. The park has a staff of 10, with four handling maintenance of 326 acres and six buildings. Bomar and Betsy Gilbert, the education outreach coordinator, run the park and plan its programs, and the others serve as cashiers, secretaries and tour guides. "Most wear several hats here; the security guard mans the till, my secretary begins the tour," Bomar said. "We also have to adjust to the level of quality in our grounds upkeep and be creative about using court- assigned community service workers and state prisoners." Bomar also expects to cut back on education-outreach programs, but his greatest fear is the possibility of having to cancel the park's main money-making and education opportunity - the Native American Festival. The week-long festival, named an Alabama Top 20 tourism event, showcases the park, Native American artwork, performances and history. The festival brings in the majority of Moundville's operating money for the rest of the year, but accomplishes even more for its educational mission. "It shows students how Native Americans are still everyday people in society," Bomar said. For the past 15 years, the park has used the festival to draw school field trips and national visibility, and for the past five years it has added an improvement each year. "It's disappointing, because last year was the best one we've had," Gilbert said. To put on a festival that meets the quality of last month's, Gilbert estimates the park will need to procure at least $60,000 from either sponsors or grants. Bomar agrees that the festival must maintain its quality level to continue. "We are proud of the high-quality cultural event that is authentic in its fabric, and we won't step down," he said. Bomar and Gilbert are investigating ways to increase sponsorship of the festival; however, with such a small staff, it is difficult to chase after dollars and keep the park running smoothly. They expect to know by May whether the festival will continue. Copyright c. 2003 The Birmingham News. --------- "RE: An Innovative approach to New Beginnings" --------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 08:11:36 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ALASKA FELONS" http://www.pechanga.net/ http://www.ktva.com/Stories/0,1413,163~6882~1768460,00.html An Innovative Approach to New Beginnings By Jill Burke November 14, 2003 Transforming felons and substance abusers into responsible members of society. The mission may not be unique, but the way one San-Francisco based program is going about it certainly is, and it now looks like the program may make its way to Anchorage. The project is known as Delancey Street, and today it boasts more than fourteen thousand graduates. It started more than thirty years ago out of an apartment, with a one thousand dollar loan and four participants. Today, it's a highly successful nonprofit foundation that supports business and training facilities. Its success, organizers say, boils down to something called social investment -- a concept that gives people who've hit rock bottom a chance to rebuild their lives by relying entirely on their own innovation and drive. Although It's nearly two thousand miles away, the upscale business cooperative in San Francisco has already caught the eye of Anchorage leaders. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and Cook Inlet Tribal Council C.E.O. Gloria O'Neill visited the facility yesterday; but their vision to bring the project here started some time ago. O'Neill is sold on it because "it believes in the human spirit and as it shows you anything's possible." Visit the facility and you'll see upscale retail stores, a moving and transit company, and a four star restaurant and cafe -- just a few of the businesses operated there. You'd also find ex-felons and substance abusers. They operate and run the facility, are the heart of the program's success. At Delancey Street people rebuild their lives by becoming their own solution to whatever problems they may be struggling with, a reason the mayor is also supportive of bringing the project to Anchorage. "We think it's a great way, instead of just filling our prisons with more people, to rehabilitate folks in a worthy way. They have to work, they have to earn a living, they have to get an education, and they have to better their lives, and that is a good approach to get the community back on track with these folks," Begich said. Delancey Street is entirely owned and operated by the residents who live and work there. They learn by doing, and they do a lot. From helping during construction, to running a four star restaurant and cafe, everyone on staff there is a part of the program, and education central to their success. Before they leave, O'Neill explained, each resident is required to obtain their GED and to also learn three trades or skills. The residents don't earn wages, but instead, pool all of their earnings to keep the facilities and their businesses running. The businesses become their own training centers, which in turn give residents new skills and new responsibilities. It's that model of responsibility and accountability that O'Neill says separates Delancey Street from other programs, a distinction she also credits with its success. The program also attributes its success to an "each one teach one" philosophy, which basically means that as residents learn new skills, they must pass them on to others. No professionals are involved, there is no government funding, and each resident is responsible for their own welfare and the welfare of their peers. Upon graduation, each student leaves with marketable skills, a job, and housing. By this time next year, O'Neill she says she hopes to be tossing business ideas around with residents ready for a new beginning of their own. O'Neill says a non profit corporation has already been formed to make Delancey Street a realty here in Anchorage. The next step, is to find a location. Copyright c. 2003 KTVA, Anchorage, AK. --------- "RE: EZLN announces temporary closings of Caracoles" --------- Date: Sunday, November 16, 2003 01:11 pm From: chiapas95-english@eco.utexas.edu Subj: EZLN announces temporary closings of Caracoles,Nov Mailing List: Chiapas-95 -- This message is forwarded to you by the editors of the Chiapas95 newslists. To contact the editors or to submit material for posting send to: . Originally published in Spanish by the EZLN ************************************ Translated by irlandesa To the people of Mexico and the peoples of the world: To the national and international press: Brothers and sisters: We are informing you that on this November 17, 2003 it will have been 20 years since the birth of the EZLN. That is why the Caracoles of Oventic, La Realidad, La Garrucha, Roberto Barrios and Morelia will be closed to the national and international press, and to national and international civil society, from November 15 through the 20th of the same month. The same measures will be put into force in those villages which are predominantly zapatista. Access will not be allowed during those days. Without exception. Instead, the EZLN is inviting everyone to those events which Rebeldi'a magazine and various social organizations and collectives are organizing all over the country and on the five continents. The CCRI-CG of the EZLN will be sending its word to these events, but no member of the zapatista leadership will be appearing personally at those events which are being held outside the mountains of the Mexican southeast. Democracy! Liberty! Justice! From the mountains of the Mexican southeast. By the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Committee - General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Subcomandante insurgente Marcos. Mexico, November of 2003. ---- La informacio'n contenida en esta lista es generada por fuentes propias o tomada de otros medios informativos y no refleja, necesariamente, la posicio'n oficial del Frente Zapatista de Liberacio'n Nacional. Todas las opiniones vertidas son responsabilidad de sus autores a no ser que se especifique lo contrario. Visita las pa'ginas del Frente Zapatista de Liberacio'n Nacional: www.fzln.org.mx (http://www.fzln.org.mx/) (espanol) --------- "RE: Writer says Indian movement threatens Democracy" --------- Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 08:35:13 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="ECUADOR INDIANS" http://www.indianz.com/News/ http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=21075 ECUADOR: Indigenous Leaders Angry at Vargas Llosa's Remarks Kintto Lucas November 12, 2003 Indian leaders in Ecuador reacted angrily to internationally renowned Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa's criticism of indigenous movements in South America, which he said posed a danger to democracy because of the "political and social disorder that they generate." QUITO, Nov 12 (IPS) - Indian leaders in Ecuador reacted angrily to internationally renowned Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa's criticism of indigenous movements in South America, which he said posed a danger to democracy because of the "political and social disorder that they generate." "Vargas Llosa's thinking is stuck in the past, and he believes indigenous people should continue to be marginalised," Leonidas Iza, the president of the powerful Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), told IPS Wednesday. But "if there is hunger, poverty and inequality, we cannot remain calm." Iza was responding to remarks Vargas Llosa made at a seminar in Colombia, which were published Tuesday by the Ecuadorian daily El Universo. The writer spoke, for example, of the need to combat the growing influence of indigenous organisations in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. In those movements there is a "deeply disturbing element that appeals to the lower instincts, the worst instincts, of the individual, like mistrust towards others, towards anyone who is different. They thus close in on themselves," he said. "The indigenous movements of the 1920s, which seemed to have been left in the past, lie behind phenomena like Mr. Evo Morales in Bolivia. We have also seen them operating in Ecuador, and generating real political and social disorder," said Vargas Llosa. The writer was referring to a recent wave of nationwide protests in Bolivia headed by leaders like leftist lawmaker Morales, an Aymara Indian and leader of the country's coca-farmers, that culminated in October in the resignation of then-president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, and to the 2000 indigenous uprising in Ecuador that toppled the government of Jamil Mahuad. Vargas Llosa's remarks are offensive and insulting to the people of Latin America, said Iza, who called for respect for the diversity represented by Ecuador's indigenous movement as well as indigenous groups in the rest of the region. "If democracy means equality, we are after just that: true democracy," said the president of Latin America's most important indigenous movement. Around 3.5 million of this Andean nation's 12.5 million people belong to 11 indigenous groups, which mainly live in rural areas. The Kichwa make up the main indigenous community, inhabiting the Andean highlands as well as the Amazon jungle region. The Awa, Chachi, Epera and Tsachila can be found along the country's Pacific coast, while the Cofan, Siona, Secoya, Huaorani, Achuar and Shuar are Amazon jungle communities. The country's indigenous peoples are governed by ancestral values and live according to a communitarian model based on solidarity, which clashes with the individualism of modern society. They defend practices like the "minga" -- community work, whether at harvest-time or in the construction of housing or roads. Vargas Llosa lashed out against indigenous movements at an international seminar on "The Threats to Democracy in Latin America: Terrorism, Weakness of the State of Law and Neo-populism", held Oct. 5-8 in Bogota. In Peru, the indigenous movement is led by "two or three 'little brothers' who, in the name of that collective identity, the indigenous, autochthonous, genuine identity, that of true 'Peruvian-ness', have launched a campaign that when examined rationally looks silly, almost comic, but which touches a nerve centre called 'spirit of the tribe'," he said. That "spirit of the tribe never disappears, even in those societies that have advanced further along the path of civilisation," he argued. He also said indigenous communities see themselves as victims of injustice, on the argument that they have been and are the victims of "imperialism, white people, the colonisers, and companies that want to steal their natural resources. "In Bolivia, they complain that the companies want to steal their natural gas. In (the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa) the people rose up to keep two foreign companies from taking over the electric industry," he said in allusion to the main grievances set forth by indigenous movements in the two countries. Vargas Llosa said such demands are incompatible with civilisation and development, "and in the short- or long-term drag us into barbarism. "If we want to achieve development, we must choose civilisation and morality, and we must resolutely fight these outbreaks of collectivism," he argued. Lawmaker Ricardo Ulcuango, the head of the Indigenous Parliament of the Americas and of the Ecuadorian parliament's Commission on the Affairs of Indigenous and Other Ethnic Groups, was also indignant over the writer's remarks. "Mr. Vargas Llosa seems to have completely lost his identity and even the words that he used so well in his time to depict reality in Latin America, the reality of the long-suffering Latin America," Ulcuango told IPS in an interview. Vargas Llosa, one of Latin America's most prestigious living writers, is the author of books like Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, The Storyteller, The War At the End of the World, and The Feast of the Goat, and has won leading awards like the Romulo Gallego International prize for literature, the Ritz Paris Hemingway prize, the Principe de Asturias prize, and the National Book Critics Award. In 1990, Vargas Llosa, whose writing has often incorporated political and social criticism, ran as a conservative candidate for the Peruvian presidency and lost to Alberto Fujimori. Ulcuango criticised what he saw as the writer's "exclusive and racist" worldview, and suggested that he bring himself up-to-date by reading International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention 169 on the rights of indigenous peoples. He also wondered what "civilisation" Vargas Llosa was talking about. For the author, "does civilisation mean allowing a tiny group of people to profit from Bolivia's natural gas, privatisations in Peru, or Ecuador's oil? Does it mean polluting the environment until leaving it dried up, or selling the water from the rivers to whoever pays the best price?" he asked. Vargas Llosa's mentality is "colonial," said Humberto Cholango, president of the National Confederation of Kichwa Peoples (Ecuarunari, in the Kichwa language), CONAIE's biggest member organisation. It is positions like his "that do not allow us to make progress towards a more democratic, tolerant, participative and integrated Latin America that recognises the diversity of every country," said Cholango. Former Ecuadorian agriculture minister Luis Macas, a founder of CONAIE, said the writer's statements seem to come "from someone who has forsaken his own identity, and, thus, his geography and history. "Vargas Llosa is in favour of an exclusive, elitist power, similar to that proposed by U.S. President George W. Bush, in a unipolar world," he said. "Indigenous people, on the other hand, propose another kind of power, known as 'Ushay' in Kichwa, which means perfecting living conditions and the ability to develop ourselves collectively, based on everyone's contribution," said Macas. Copyright c. 2003 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. --------- "RE: Mohawk Rez special challenge for Border Patrol" --------- Date: Tue, 18 Nov 2003 08:44:41 -0700 From: Gary Smith Subj: NA News Item - - - - - - -- - - - - - - filename="NORTHERN BORDER CROSSINGS" http://www.owlstar.com/dailyheadlines.htm http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/seely111703.html Mohawk Reservation Poses Special Challenge for Border Patrol BY HART SEELY November 17, 2003 MALONE, N.Y. - A retired ironworker, Matt Thomas grew up on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation on New York's northern border, hiking the Kawenkhoke trail across the frozen St. Lawrence River. "It's a tradition," Thomas said. "It's a part of our life." But life is changing along the once-casual northern boundary that separates the United States from Canada. With beefed-up border patrols and an arsenal of high-tech watchers in the woods, the federal government has mounted an all-out effort to keep illegal aliens _ and possible terrorists _ from reaching American soil. After the attacks of Sept. 11, Congress appropriated an extra $100 million to shore up patrols on the northern border. Then, last winter, a stretch of arctic weather turned the St. Lawrence into an ice bridge _ more than 3 feet thick in places _ solid enough to carry cars and trucks. Traffic flowed between the two countries along the frozen Kawenkhoke trail, through the roughly 10 miles of unpatrolled border that crosses the Mohawk reservation. To secure the border, U.S. Justice Department officials must balance civil rights, Native American sovereignty and generations of tradition. As the lone Indian nation to occupy both U.S. and Canadian soil, St. Regis has been called "the international hole in the dike," a smuggler's paradise since Prohibition without checkpoints or border restrictions. But those who live there say life changed on Sept. 11, 2001. "A lot of guys who hang out in my marina are ironworkers who work in New York City," said Thomas, from behind the counter of his Tenihieke Thomas Marina in St. Regis, Quebec. "Some were among the first ones on the scene to help out after the planes hit the World Trade Center. ... If we saw people coming in on the ice bridge, or in the summer coming over on a boat _ people who don't belong _ nobody would put up with that. Nobody. No way." Why so much concern about the Canadian border? The Canadian government has estimated that more than 50 militant groups, including al-Qaida, exist in Canada. Though Canada has tightened its immigration policies, more than 250,000 outsiders per year enter the country. Last summer, Canadian media reported that 59 international war criminals had skipped Canadian immigration hearings and vanished into the countryside. On Sept. 4 of this year, the FBI warned law enforcement agencies to watch out for Canadian airplanes that might be hijacked. Most of the New York-Canadian border is Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, but the 90-mile line across the area known as New York's North Country is mainly farmland and wilderness. Border officials can't be everywhere. "There are some bad stretches," said James McMahon, director of the New York state Office of Security. "But we do have eyes and ears out there." # # # A few years ago, a stranger wriggled out of a sugarbush near Leon Boyea's home in Franklin County and told an amazing tale: He'd been abducted in New York City, hauled to within spitting distance of Canada _ a 370-mile trip _ and dumped in the wild. Nevertheless, he saw no reason to call the police. He just wanted to get home. Could he get a lift to the Malone bus station? Sure, Boyea said. Then he discreetly told his wife to make a call. "If somebody's bound and determined to infiltrate the border, it's always possible," said Boyea, 66, a former dairy farmer. "But let me put it this way: They've also got to get by the neighbors." En route to the bus station, Boyea's truck was pulled over by the U.S. Border Patrol. The agents found the stranger holding a huge wad of cash and took him into custody. Boyea never did learn his fate. "That's just part of our job, living here," Boyea said. "If we see something that doesn't look quite kosher, we'll notify the Border Patrol." A few residents get paid to keep watch. Most do it voluntarily. But now they also must handle being watched. Years ago, U.S. Customs agents waved their friends through border checkpoints. Those days are gone. At busy crossings, drivers are warned to expect 30-minute delays, while IDs are scanned through criminal databases. On a normal day, U.S. Customs and Border agents make 64 arrests nationwide. Officials say the wait is a small price to pay for security and improving technology will lessen delays. In one program, NEXUS, people who undergo background checks receive a data-coded card. The card projects their pictures onto a computer monitor, and they are waved through. About 53,000 Americans and Canadians have enrolled. "For the regular border-crosser, that is the future," said Michael McMullen, chief inspector at the Champlain port of entry on the New York- Vermont border. "A lot of this information is going to be checked out ahead of time." At several North Country crossings, Customs has installed Vehicle And Cargo Inspection System (VACIS) scanners. The machines X-ray a trailer in minutes, rather than the hours needed for a manual search. In busy ports like Champlain, where 1,000 trucks pass through per day, VACIS scans 10 percent of commercial traffic. Agents select high-risk vehicles based on intelligence they've received. Boyea said he doesn't mind the questions, even when the Customs official is his neighbor. "I know it's his job," Boyea said. "And I respect that." He pointed to a stand of trees about 300 yards away. That's Canada, he said. What's to keep someone from sneaking across? "Well, you could try," Boyea said. "But I got a feeling you'd have company pretty quick." # # # About three miles from Boyea's home, an obelisk stands beside an iron gate latched across an old one-lane road. "Over that line is Canada," Border Patrol Senior Agent Michael A. Chase said. Once, tiny roads like this were open passageways between friendly nations. Now, most are watched by hidden eyes. Minutes after he visited the site, Chase's car radio crackled. An electronic sensor had been triggered and word of intruders transmitted to the Border Patrol's dispatch center in Swanton, Vt. "That was just us," Chase told the base station. The U.S. government has added 57 Border Patrol agents to Northern New York and Vermont. They have installed video cameras in trees and metal detectors on trails. Seismic sensors in fields are programmed to discern the vibrations of human footsteps. Each location is locked into a satellite navigation system, so helicopters or cars can go directly to a tripped sensor, night or day. "It allows you to cover 10 or 15 trails with two or three agents," said Peter Dunbar, commander of the Border Patrol's Burke station. Chase has found illegal aliens in bushes, in trees and on roads, desperately looking for rides. Once, his unit found a group of nearly frozen Pakistanis, in light clothing, shivering in the snow. Along with the border patrols, 120 state troopers have been added to the Northern region. Franklin County District Attorney Derek Champagne said he believes outsiders _ more than the people of St. Regis, which the Mohawks call Akwesasne _ exploit the reservation's unique situation. Straddling the international border, the area attracts smugglers like a magnet. "Over the years, everything has been smuggled through there, from Iranian rugs _ when you weren't supposed to bring in Iranian rugs _ to people, to drugs, to alcohol and cigarettes. Everything," said former Franklin County District Attorney Andrew Schrader, who serves on a border security task force. "The situation is no secret. The bad guys have always known about it." Schrader said political leaders for too long have shied away from tackling the open border on the reservation. "Sooner or later," he said, "somebody's got to have the political will to say there is a problem here, and we're going to address it." # # # On the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, it's possible to drive from New York to Canada without noticing anything but changed lines on the road. No border checkpoints exist. Nobody asks questions. A driver won't get far. The roads here either become dead ends or cut back into New York. But when the St. Lawrence freezes, a new road emerges